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Anyone interested in old cars certainly knows at least some of the accomplishments and quirks of Henry Ford. The famous Model T Ford was built from 1908 until 1926, selling more than 15 million “Tin Lizzies.” By 1918, half of all the cars in America were Model T’s. Henry Ford was also known for being rather stubborn on some matters like color with the statement, “You can have any color you want as long as it is black.”
Henry Ford was still running the company when the 1940 Fords were produced. They were a facelift of the previous year’s all-new 1939 models, on which Ford finally included hydraulic brakes as standard. Chrysler, GM and other manufacturers used them years earlier. The 1940 front styling of the cars was changed, but the most significant improvement was sealed-beam headlights.
There were two series that model year, the Standard and the DeLuxe. Visually, the exterior differences were pretty minor: two taillights for the DeLuxe, one for the Standard and somewhat different grilles. Both grilles had a small hole to engage a crank handle should the electric starter fail. Surprisingly, Ford actually kept that peculiarity through the 1948 models.
Ford was the only low-price car that offered a V8 engine dating back to 1932. The 1940 Ford Coupe had a huge truck, and with the zippy V8 engine it was a favorite among the moonshiners in the Southeast. With some minor modifications, the trunk could hold 130 gallons of moonshine and the rear suspension could be strengthened to carry the additional weight. Owner Phillip Arth first got interested in a 1940 Ford because a close friend had one.
“When I started looking into it, I actually wanted a ’39 coupe because I was born in ’39. But the ’40 is more iconic as I looked at it, so I got the ’40. Every day, I just love that car. If something goes wrong with it, I still love that car.”
The Moraga resident said that, “Although it looks stock from the outside, this 1940 Ford DeLuxe Opera Coupe, named “Black Thunder,” was built as a growler. With a Turbo 400 transmission and a 350 Chevy V8 attached to a Holly supercharger, it takes off like a cheetah and roars like a lion through the Magniflow exhaust and headers. The front sits on a Mustang II front suspension, and there is a Corvette independent rear end.”
This car was selected as one of the top 100 rods and customs by Rod and Custom magazine in 2001.
“In 2006 at a Barrett-Jackson auction,” Arth stated, “the coupe was purchased for $62,700.”
The purchaser was a Chevrolet dealer from Southern California who owned this Ford Coupe for eight years. He may have had buyer’s remorse as he was a collector with about 15 cars and had a difficult time keeping all the cars ready to go with the batteries charged. He put this Ford up for sale on eBay.
“I followed it as it was relisted several times, the price being dropped with each relisting. I bought the car in March of 2014 for $59,145.”
Since the former owner didn’t drive this Ford much, a lot of work was necessary to get it into show car condition. Arth is not mechanically inclined.
“I am a CPA,” he laughingly said. “I can count the number of cars on the street, but nobody is going to give me a wrench and ask me to build one, so anything that goes wrong with the car, it goes into the shop.”
He speaks highly of his two favorite repair garages, Moraga Motors and Orinda Motors. Arth appreciates the beauty, style and fine design of this 1940 Ford Opera Coupe. It is more than just restored with a plush interior and many added creature comforts. It is clearly much better than when it came down Ford’s assembly line. When new, this car sold for about $850, or about $15,000 in today’s dollars.
“I have put over $20,000 into the car and do not begrudge one nickel. It was a lot of fun bringing the car back to its former glory.”
He estimates the fair market value today for this car to be about $65,000, “but I would not sell it for that today. I enjoy driving the car, showing it wherever I park and taking it to local car shows. I am holding the car in trust for the next owner and will be pleased to pass it along in better shape than when I acquired it.
“When I am ready to part with the car, I do not expect to recover all the monies I have sunk into it. Some would say Black Thunder is an expensive toy, but I regard it as a dear friend. After all, I am one year older than the car.”
Have an interesting vehicle? Contact David Krumboltz at MOBopoly@yahoo.com. To view more photos of this and other issues’ vehicles, search for “David Krumboltz” at www.mercurynews.com.
